October 15, 2008

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A representative for the Secret Service confirms Verizon's statement earlier tonight that the company only put in a temporary cell service facility near the McCain ranch in Arizona at the request of the agency.

"We made a request of Verizon in I believe May that was covered under our contract and they did address our immediate needs," said Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren.

Zahren said the Washington Post story was "confusing two different issues — the temporary fix and the permanent solution to the tower."

The former came at the behest of the agency. The latter, the Post story makes clear, came at the request of Cindy McCain. Post reporter James Grimaldi writes that Verizon had started work on a site survey, in response to a 2007 request for a permanent tower, before the Secret Service was protecting McCain.

Zahren stressed that the agency made the request of Verizon for their own needs and that they never were involved in any discussion regarding a permanent facilty on or near the McCain property.

He said he couldn't speak to AT&T's move to install a temporary facility because they have a sole contract with Verizon.